Walks you can reach from Burscough Bridge by train

Hindley Station to Atherton Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A fairly direct route along a quiet road with fields on one side, then footpaths through woods and across fields, with a cut through Central Park towards the finish. Some sections off-road can be overgrown and one footpath surfaced with broken roof tiles. Finishes at St John's Church, Atherton.

7km.

A blind bend when crossing Coupland Road from the south; one short footpath was so overgrown it was easier to stay on the road.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Manchester Oxford Road Station to Gorton Station (Lancashire)

1h direct from Burscough Bridge.

An urban canal-side walk following the Rochdale and Ashton canals out of the city centre, then a green cycleway. Towpath is largely flat and paved and but some sections are cobbled and there are steps at the canal access. Passes the Etihad Campus and Co-op Live Arena; the later cycleway follows the course of the former Stockport Branch Canal.

Easy: 7km, moderate ascents.

There are steps from Oxford Street down to the canal. The path where the route leaves Lees Street by Gorton station can be very overgrown; a minor diversion via Beeth Street and Barrass Street is better.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Formby Station to Southport Station (Lancashire)

15m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A scenic route. A scenic, easy-to-follow coastal walk on generally well-maintained paths, leaving Formby through a golf course and pine forest and then following the Trans Pennine Trail beside sand dunes and marram grass before a roadside stretch into Southport. Mostly flat; the woods have rougher pounded-earth paths with rises and falls. Follows the Trans Pennine Trail for a section; both ends are on the same railway line, and the walk can be started from Freshfield station.

13km. Flat terrain.

There is a footbridge and gated, signalled level crossings near Formby that are not accessible to all; the path can get sandy in places.

Lunch: Coffee shops at both ends.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Blackrod Station to Westhoughton Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A mostly good walk let down in places by poor path maintenance, with industrial-estate streets, a narrow and quite busy lane and a faint footpath that is hard to find. Crosses a busy road near Westhoughton.

8km.

From Westhoughton, the busy Church Street is best crossed at a zebra crossing south of the railway bridge. Part of Long Lane is narrow and busy with traffic, so take care.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Wigan Wallgate Station to Ince Station (Lancashire)

15m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A slightly longer alternative that is almost entirely off-road and maximising use of the canal towpath and taking in the historic Wigan Pier area. Uses the canal towpath and forms part of the Community Rail Trail between Wigan and Bolton, taking in the historic Wigan Pier.

Easy: 2km, moderate ascents.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Hindley Station to Westhoughton Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

pleasant open countryside with far-reaching views. A pleasant route making full use of the path through delightful Borsdane Wood, emerging from an industrial estate into open countryside with far-reaching views, on waymarked and well-defined tracks. Very muddy in places; a steep set of steps down into the wood. Goes through Borsdane Wood and forms part of the Community Rail Trail between Wigan and Bolton.

Tough: steep ascents. 5km.

A steep set of steps leads down into Borsdane Wood.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Ince Station to Hindley Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

Uses former railway lines through now-wooded areas with reed-filled ponds, plus narrower and muddy paths through Amberswood Common and an unclear footpath around playing fields. Good paths on the railway sections; heavy metal kissing gates restrict wheel users. Uses former railway lines from the Wigan coalfields; good for birdsong and wildlife, with deer seen.

4km.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Westhoughton Station to Atherton Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

Easy: 5km, moderate ascents.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Westhoughton Station to Lostock Station (Lancashire)

30m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A short, direct but quite pavement-heavy route using footpaths and roads alongside the railway and with one earthen footpath that is muddy and narrow in places and runs around horse fields. Slightly uphill in parts. A worthwhile short detour onto the Rumworth Dam, with a narrow muddy path and kissing gate.

Easy: 3km, moderate ascents.

One footpath has a narrow, muddy section and a kissing gate.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Bolton Station to Farnworth Station (Lancashire)

45m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A largely green urban walk using the Darcy Lever Viaduct disused railway line and Moses Gate Country Park, on a mix of good paths, pavements and quiet access roads. A long muddy section between Hall Lane and Hacken Bridge Road and with steep steps up to Bolton station. The route passes through Moses Gate Country Park, between artificial lakes, and uses the former railway over the magnificent Darcy Lever Viaduct (now a walking and cycling route, caged in).

5km.

A long muddy section between Hall Lane and Hacken Bridge Road that may be worse after a wet winter (fairly solid under the mud). A short stretch of the busy A6053 Hall Lane, crossed at a pelican crossing, and steep steps up to the Bolton meeting point.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Farnworth Station to Kearsley Station (Lancashire)

45m direct from Burscough Bridge.

A short, straightforward and direct route, much of it away from roads. A gravel and earth footpath runs alongside the railway with a fairly steep, potentially slippery section and the path passes a church before reaching the shops.

Tough: steep ascents. 1km.

The footpath alongside the railway is steep and can be slippery when very wet, and may be challenging for those with mobility issues.

Lunch: Shops near the Farnworth end.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route

Salford Crescent Station to Manchester Oxford Road Station (Lancashire)

1h direct from Burscough Bridge.

A largely off-road, well-paved city walk through Peel Park and a lengthy stretch following the River Irwell, before climbing into central Manchester via ginnels, squares and pedestrianised streets. Surfaces are tarmac or tightly packed throughout and but several flights of steps make it a foot-only route. Heron and cormorant can be seen along the Irwell. Peel Park is claimed to be the world's first public park.

0km.

Multiple flights of steps. Some passages (notably the gated, glass-atrium passage near the Central Library) are closed at night, so it's best done in daylight. Continual city-centre building works can impede progress.

Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route